Word of the Day

: February 12, 2022

reprobate

noun REP-ruh-bayt

What It Means

A reprobate is an unprincipled or depraved person. Other names for such a being are scoundrel and rogue.

// The reprobate preyed on well-to-do elderly women, who he would swindle out of their money.

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reprobate in Context

"Dickens' classic novella, 'A Christmas Carol,' …. endures for many reasons, not the least of which is its redemptive theme in which Scrooge, a curmudgeon and a reprobate, is able to find deliverance from his obduracy and become a beacon of generosity, kindness and goodwill." — Emery Cummins, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Dec. 2021

Did You Know?

The original reprobates were hardened sinners who had fallen from God's grace. In time, their name was used outside of religious contexts for any person who behaves in a morally wrong way. In Late Latin, reprobare means "to disapprove" or "to condemn."